Friday, April 29, 2011

Favorite Friday Recipe: Best Chocolate Cake Ever!

I must admit, I've been a little caught up with all this royal wedding fever--and just a wee bit jealous of Prince William's rumored groom's cake made of tea biscuits and chocolate. I remember our own delicious chocolate wedding cake fondly and never thought I'd chance upon an equal recipe. But as luck would have it, I was given this recipe by a friend (actually it started out as a chocolate cheesecake cupcake recipe) that I then converted into just pure chocolate goodness. Interestingly enough, this recipe is vegan friendly as it contains no eggs or milk. Rather, it relies on vinegar and baking soda to help the cake rise and stay moist. I've also experimented with subbing out most of the oil for applesauce and it still tasted pretty good though the original version is still my favorite. It's a surprisingly easy recipe and remember, the secret is in purchasing Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa!

Best Chocolate Cake Ever

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup cocoa (must be Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa)

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup water

1/2 cup oil

1 tbsp white vinegar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Mix first five dry ingredients in a bowl

Mix next four wet ingredients in measuring cup

Combine wet and dry ingredients with whisk, the batter should be very runny

Grease an 8x8 pan and pour batter in, then sprinkle chocolate chips on top

Bake at 350F for around 30-40 min depending on your oven's temperament

Sprinkle with powdered sugar, slick on some frosting or serve with hot fudge and caramel